Interest grows in robot baristas in Singapore

Following the successful rollout of six robots in high-traffic areas across Singapore and Japan, Ella, Singapore’s first fully autonomous AI-powered robotic barista, is facing increased demand from corporate offices in Singapore.

Already present at SAP, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) at Changi Business Park and following a pop-up at The URA Centre on Maxwell Road, Crown Digital has seen an uptake of more than 100 enquiries from corporate clients, who are looking for innovative ways to boost employee morale and productivity, the company said.

“Ella consistently brews high quality coffee in an efficient, convenient, and novel manner, which employees are seeing as a wonderful benefit as they return to the office,” said Keith Tan, CEO and Founder of Crown Digital.

“The innovative spirit of Ella is also recognised; beyond providing excellent cups of coffee, Ella is a great conversation starter, and she sends a message to visitors and business partners that these organisations value their employees and champion innovation.”

In surveys at SCB and Maxwell Road Crown Digital found that 89% of SCB respondents surveyed said they were either ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to recommend Ella to family and friends, whilst 93% believed Ella coffee to be either ‘so much better’ or ‘better’ than coffee available in other nearby coffee shops. Meanwhile, 100% of Maxwell Road respondents agreed that being able to order their coffee through Ella has helped them save time during the working day, with most agreeing that Ella has improved their productivity at work and is a nice back-to-work perk. Several survey respondents noted that Ella serves as a conversation starter.

Source: Crown Digital. Interest grows in robot baristas.

With the ability to brew more than 300 coffee combinations and serve up to 200 cups per hour, Ella allows coffee lovers to skip the queue and grab a quick cup of coffee, as consumers can order through the Ella app ahead of time and collect their drinks immediately upon arrival.

Moving beyond the current B2C and B2B solutions, Crown Digital is exploring white labelling. Through this model, Crown Digital will provide an end-to-end unmanned retail solution for traditional operators to digitalise their F&B operations, helping them to increase operational efficiency and margins.